Entertainment

5 iPhone Apps to Help You Learn to Dance

It's National Dance Day, so listen up: You've got to get movin'. Some people are born with rhythm and simply know how to move. Others aren't so lucky. While our mothers may have toted us to childhood ballet classes, some were only in it for the tutu.

But if you're yearning to learn some of that fancy footwork again, have no fear, because, well — there's an app for that. With a little help from the iPhone and these five downloads, your feet will be moving in no time. And who knows? You may even be on on your way to preparing for a role in Swan Lake.

If you've achieved Dancing Queen (or King) status with iPhone assistance, let us know which apps helped get your groove back in the comments below.

Personally, I've wanted to learn to tap dance since first seeing "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" from Annie, but I just couldn't get the timing right. Tap dancing is not as easy as it looks... scratch that, it doesn't look easy at all. If you don't have natural rhythm, this type of dance is going to be tough, but as with anything, practice makes perfect.

This app offers 12 basic tap dancing steps to get you started. YouTube videos offer very short instructions on how to move your feet and the tempo to use. The instructor takes you through the steps slowly and is really clear on how to move. Once you know how to "Shuffle," move on to the "Ball Change," and you're on your way to tapping your heart out.

Because you have to salsa with a partner, this isn't the easiest dance to learn via an iPhone application, but it definitely helps. By watching the videos, you'll learn the follower and leader positions and steps, as they are different. You can also virtually practice with a male or female "partner," and hey, why not learn how to do both parts? You never know when you'll have to lead.

If you've always wanted to take ballet classes but never had the chance, Ballet For Beginners is a good place to start. And if you're taking an adult beginners ballet class, this is a handy companion to help you practice what you've learned.

The app offers 20 instructional YouTube videos that take you step-by-step through the five classical ballet positions, as well as basic moves from different angles, all taken at a slow pace so you can keep up. The videos are divided up and relatively short so you can watch them repeatedly until you commit the moves to memory. The videos include increasingly more difficult moves and steps, and as ballet is far from easy, you'll probably find yourself needing a lot of practice.

Are you ready for a "life changing journey of discovery" that will make you more "feminine, sensual, elegant and spicy?" Do you have a secure eight-foot pole you can swing around on? If so, you're ready to pole dance.

Edith Aboul-Hosn has over 15 years of experience dancing, teaching and choreographing, and has been dancing professionally for the last seven years. She'll teach you the art of pole dancing with GoLearn's Pole Dancing app.

Edith is a great instructor, as she's studied everything from classical ballet to modern dance to belly dancing. The app offers some good tips to know before starting out. For example, you should always point your toes, focus on your core, and remember to arch your back.

The YouTube video demos are completely respectful, but could be considered a little racy; but if you want to learn pole dancing, it's to be expected. The videos teach basic moves, proper technique, spins, inversions, combinations, and how to put it all together. It all actually looks like a lot of fun... like an adult version of swinging around on the jungle gym.

This is app is ideal for beginners who want to learn to dance so that when they hit the clubs they can do more than just stand there and bob their heads. You know who you are, and it's time to learn how to get down.

This app offers some very basic tips, like listening to the rhythm, shifting your weight properly, keeping loose, and when and why you should throw your hands in the air. There is also a video wall that connects you to YouTube and offers 20 guides to some of the hottest moves from today's best dancers and musicians, as well as a break dance tutorial. Just try not to hurt yourself... or anyone else.

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